Two-blank corrugated board container

ABSTRACT

A packaging and shipping case formed of two blanks, each defining a horizontal wall panel and a pair of vertical wall panels foldably connected to the associated horizontal wall panel. One of the blanks also includes transverse securing flaps and lateral securing flaps along its perimeter, the transverse flaps to be secured to opposite edges of the horizontal wall panel of the other blank. The blanks may be formed of corrugated board with their corrugation axes perpendicular to each other, so that the corrugation axes of all vertical wall panels and of the lateral securing flaps joined thereto extend vertically.

United States Patent [72] Inventor George S. McVeigh Lynchburg, Va.

[2! Appl. No. 855,576

I22] Filed Sept. 5, 1969 l 45 Patented Nov. 23, I971 73 Anslgnee McVeighEngineering Ltd.

Lynchburg, Va.

] 54] TWO-BLANK CORRUGATED BOARD CONTAINER Primary Examiner- LeonardSummer Attorney-Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence ABSTRACT: A packaging andshipping case formed of two blanks, each defining a horizontal wallpanel and a pair of vertical wall panels foldably connected to theassociated horizontal wall panel. One of the blanks also includestransverse securing flaps and lateral securing flaps along itsperimeter, the transverse flaps to be secured to opposite edges of thehorizontal wall panel of the other blank. The blanks may be formed ofcorrugated board with their corrugation axes perpendicular to eachother, so that the corrugation axes of all vertical wall panels and ofthe lateral securing flaps joined th rsiesxt nq.xsr s m PATENTEUunv 23Ian SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTOR. GEORGE $.MCVE1QH BY D m imgm ATTOE VEYJFAIENTEDunv 2a |97l SHEET 3 0F 3 INVENTOR. Geoaoe S. MQVEIGH masmfg uwm,

l TWO-BLANK CORRUGATED BOARD CONTAINER BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates in general to packaging andshipping cases or containers and especially to packaging and shippingcases fonned of at least two blanks in a manner to conserve board mediumby reducing waste and provide increased stacking strength. As aparticular example, the invention relates to cases formed of two blanksof corrugated board arranged to define a four-sided tube which may beclosed by a pair of hinged end or side closure flaps.

Heretofore, one common way of fabricating packaging cases to enclose andprotect food products in individual cans or small containers has been toform a single blank with a plurality of foldably connected panels,hinged adhesive coated flaps, and foldably connected end panels whichcan be assembled into a shipping case of the desired configuration.Frequently, the blank for forming such a shipping case would includefour panels foldably connected at transverse hinge lines and extendingin series relation along a longitudinal axis, all of the panels havingsubstantially the same width, designed to fonn the two pairs ofhorizontal walls and vertical sides,

with a pair of end panels extending laterally along a transverse axisfrom one of the wall-forming panels a distance equal to the longitudinalaxis dimension of the next adjacent side panel. This necessarilyinvolved great wastage of corrugated board because of the much greaterwidth required for the blank portion forming the two end panels andtheir connected wall-forming panel, compared to the blank width over theremainder of the blank forming the other panels. Also, the constructionof such cases from a single blank necessarily resulted in thecorrugation axes of the end panels being at right angles to thecorrugation axes of the side panels flanking the particular wall panelto which the end panels were con nected, thus resulting in a reductionin the stacking strength of the carton, since it would not be possibleto have all four vertical sides provided with vertical corrugation axes.For example, if the wall-forming panel to which the end panels areconnected is the top panel of the carton, and the corrugation axes ofthe two vertical side panels in' the finished container are disposed ina vertical direction, then the corrugation axes of the end panels wouldbe horizontal and thus perpendicular to the corrugation axes of thevertical side panels.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a shipping caseconstruction for corrugated or other board medium, formed of two basicblanks, one of which has a series of foldably connecting panels to formtwo vertical sidewalls and one horizontal wall of the assembled case,and the other blank having foldably connected panels forming the otherhorizontal wall and the two end walls of the assembled case, whereby thefirst blank is of a substantially uniform first width throughout itslength and the second panel is of a uniform greater width than the firstblank and is assembled to the first blankalong hinged flaps of thelatter, to minimize the wastage of board medium in the fabrication ofthe shipping case.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shippingcase as described in the immediately preceding paragraph, wherein thefirst blank has three foldably connected panels forming a horizontalpanel and two vertical panels of the assembled case, and the secondblank is a three-paneled blank forming the other horizontal panel andthe ,two end panels of the finished case.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shippingcase as described in the preceding paragraph, wherein each of said twoblanks are formed of corrugated board, the two blanks being assembledtogether by securing a hinged flap at the edge of one of the verticalwall panels of the first blank along a free edge of the horizontal wallpanel of the second blank with the corrugation axes of the first blankdisposed perpendicular to the corrugation axes of the second blank, togive increased stacking strength to the assembled shipping case.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferredembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a top plan view of twoassembled corrugated board blanks constructed in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the two blanks ofFIG. 1 folded in condition to form an assembled packaging case;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled packaging case formed bythe two blanks of FIG. 1 with the end panels raised to pennit endloading of the case;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another pair of assembled blanks for forming aside loaded packaging case;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the side loaded case in assembledcondition with the side flaps raised to permit side loading; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment forming atop loaded case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TWO PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to thedrawings, wherein like reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout the several figures, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and3'illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention, the shippingcase is indicated generally by the reference character 10, and comprisesa first triple panel blank 11 and a second triple blank 12. In theillustrated embodiment, each of the blanks 11 and 12 is formed ofcorrugated cardboard, although it will be appreciated that other boardmedia may be used if desired. The first triple panel blank 11 is scoredto form a large rectangular panel 13 designed to provide the bottomwall, or one of the horizontal walls, of the erected case, joined alongscore lines 14 and 15 extending transversely relative to thelongitudinal axis of the blank to second and third panels 16 and 17designed to form the vertical sidewalls of the erected case 10. Thus,the three panels 16, 13 and 17 are arranged in series along the majorlongitudinal axis of the, blank 11. Joined to the transverse outer edgesof the panels 16 and 17 relatively remote from the bottom panel 13 alongtransverse score lines 18 and 19 are transverse hinge flaps 20 and 21 toform adhesive flaps or glue panels securing the case in erected form.Also, other hinged adhesive or securing flaps are formed along thelateral edges of the panels 16, 13 and 17, as illustrated by flaps 22a,23a associated with panel 16, flaps 22b, 23b associatedwith panel 13 andflaps 22c, 23c associated with panel 17, all joined to their associatedpanels along score lines indicated collectively at 24 and 25.

The second blank 12 is also a triple panel blank, and comprising a firstrectangular panel 25 corresponding to the panel 13 and designed tobecome the top panel of the erected case 10, together with panels 26 and27 joined to the'panel 25 by score lines 28, 29, arranged transverselyto the major longitudinal axis of the blank 12. In the illustratedembodiment, the corrugation axes of the corrugations or fluting of theblank I I are arranged parallel to the major longitudinal axis of theblank, indicated by the arrows 30, while the corrugation axes of thecorrugations of the second blank 12, indicated by the arrows 31, whichalso parallel the major longitudinal axis of the blank 12,-are arrangedperpendicular to the corrugation axes of the blank 11.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the blank 11 may be initially assembled withthe blank 12 by adhesively securing, or otherwise fastening in anyconventional manner, the transverse hinge flap 21 of the blank 11 to themarginal portion along the long side of the panel 25 of blank 12inunderlapping relation to the marginal edge of the panel 25, and storedin flat form to be erected by securing the other flap 21 to panel 25immediately prior to being filled, or, if desired, the two blanks ll,12, after being separately formed, can be assembled by folding the blank11 into a channel-shaped configuration as illustrated in FIG. 2 with thetwo transverse flaps 20, 21 folded inwardly towards each other inparallelism with the bottom panel 13, and both of these transverse flaps20, 21 may be substantially simultaneously adhered or otherwise suitablyfastened to the two marginal edge portions of the top panel 25 of blank12 as illustrated, to form a rectangular tube which is open at oppositeends. For convenient storage purposes, this assembled tube may be storedin flat condition with the two panels 16, 13 lying in one common plane,and the assembly of panel 17 secured by flap 21 with the panel 25 foldedabout the transverse score line into overlying condition flattenedagainst the panels 16, 13.

Following end loading of the contents into the case when in thecondition illustrated in FIG. 3, the lateral hinge flaps 22a, b and cand 230, b and c may be then folded inwardly at right angles to theiradjoining wall panels, and the end panels 26, 27 folded downwardly andadhered to the inwardly folded lateral hinge flaps to close thepackaging and shipping case.

It will be appreciated that when the case if formed from two blanks, asabove-described, a size of stock sheet from which the blanks 11 are tobe cut can be selected which has an appropriate width, for example,corresponding to the width from the free edge of flaps 220, b and c tothe free edge of flaps 23a, b and c or an even multiple thereof, orstock sheets having a width corresponding to the distance from the longfree edge of flap 20 to the long free edge of flap 21 or an evenmultiple thereof, to effect significant saving in the material requiredto form the cases, by greatly reducing the waste of board area comparedwith construction with similar cases from a single blank. For example,if a single blank were employed having the configuration of theperimeter of the two assembled blanks ll, 12 of FIG. I, it is apparentthat a sheet having a width corresponding to the distance from the outerlong edge 27a of end panel 27 to the corresponding edge 26a of end panel26 would have to be used, and that there would be large waste areas cutout from the stock sheet at each side of the blank corresponding to thearc defined by the distance between the outer long edges of the flaps2211-220 to the edge 26a of flap 26 along one axis and the distancebetween the score lines I8 and 19 along the other axis.

Furthermore, by use of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 13, whereinthe vertical walls formed by the side panels 16 and 17 and by the endpanels 26 and 27 all have their corrugation axes or flutings runningvertically, considerable increase in stacking strength is insured. Theefi'ect of this is to provide four vertical comer posts at each of thecomers of the case, formed by the adjoining vertical edges of the panels16, 17, 26 and 27 and the glue panels or securing flaps 22a and c and23a and c. This arrangement also permits a completely smooth extcriorwith uninterrupted panels on all sides and no joints, slots, ordiscontinuities which would provide a snag line when one case slidesacross another during any palletizing operation. Also, the configurationof the two blank subassemblies is such that no extra strips or segmentsof material are required to be added to serve as hinges. Thus, thecomposite blank design illustrated in FIG. 1 provides six smoothcontinuous dusttight exterior panels with vertical reinforcement at allfour corners providing a seal and insuring maximum stacking strength.

A variation is illustration in FIGS. 4 and 5, wherein the blanks,panels, score lines and flaps corresponding to those of FIG. 1 areindicated by the primes of the reference characters employed in FIG. 1,but wherein the dimensions of the rectangular panels are changedslightly to provide a side loaded case. Thus, for example, as anillustrative example, the panels 16', l3, I7, 25', 26' and 27' are ofsuch configuration that the panels 13' and 25' define the horizontalbottom and top walls, the panels 16' and 17' define the end walls, andthe panels 26 and 27 define the sidewalls. This pair of panels 11, 12 isassembled in the same manner as the panels 11, 12 of the first describedembodiment to provide a tube which is open at both HAW sides, asillustrated in FIG. 5, which can be side loaded with the food product,after which the side panels 26' and 27' are secured to the glue panelsor flaps 22a'-22c and 23a'-23c'.

Yet another form embodying the principles of the preceding embodimentsis illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein. the case is formed of a first blank32 having rectangular wall-forming panels 32A, 32B and 32C connected bytransverse score lines, and two half panels 32D and 32E collectivelyforming the top wall, each having a tuck flap 32F on the end thereof.The corrugations of this blank 32 preferably run in the direction of thearrow 32 so that the corrugation axes of both the side panels 32A and32C run vertically. Lateral edges of these panels also include gluepanels or flaps indicated at 32A, 32B, and 32C. In this particular case,two end panel blanks of substantially rectangular configuration,indicated at 33 and 34, are provided, each defining a rectangular panel33A, 34A, having a height corresponding to that of the wall panels 32A,32C and a width corresponding to the width of the bottom panel 328, andhaving a pair of hinge flaps 33B, 348 at the top edge of the panels 33A,34A having a tuck slot 33C, 34C therebetween into which the tuck flaps32F are to be inserted upon closure of the top of the case. The two endpanels 33A, 34A are oriented so that their corrugation axes runvertically, as indicated by arrows 35, and glued or otherwise fastenedto the inwardly folded flaps 34A, 32B and 32C of the blank 32 asillustrated in FIG. 6, providing a case which may be top loaded. Afterit is filled with the goods to be packaged, the two top panel sections320, 32E are folded inwardly over the top of the case and the flaps 32Ftucked into the slots 33C, 34C to secure the top in closed condition.

Again, this construction produces a case which has great stackingstrength, since all of the vertical side and end panels 32A, 32C, 33Aand 34A have their corrugation axes or flutings running vertically, andreinforcement is provided at each of the four comers by the flaps 32A,32C, which also have vertically extending corrugation axes. Also, due tothe configuration of the blanks employed for this case, avoidance ofwaste of the stock material is achieved producing vast savings over thecost of material which would be involved in forming a top loaded casefrom a single blank having the composite configuration of the blanks32A, 33 and 34 of this embodiment.

What is claimed as invention is:

l. A shipping case formed of two separate blanks each formed ofcorrugated board joined to make the whole; one blank having alongitudinal first axis and having its corrugation axes arrangedparallel to said first axis, said one blank including transverse creasesextending perpendicular to said first axis subdividing said one blankinto a pair of first vertical wall panels to form two parallel verticalwalls of the case and a first horizontal wall panel disposed betweensaid first vertical wall panels and foldably connected thereto alongcertain of said transverse creases, said one blank further includingtransverse securing flaps foldably connected to said first vertical wallpanels along others of said transverse creases spaced from said firsthorizontal wall panel, and said one blank having longitudinal creasesparalleling said axis and spanning said wall panels to define lateralsecuring flaps respectively foldably connected to each of said wallpanels along opposite lateral edges thereof defined by said longitudinalcreases; and the second blank having a longitudinal second axis arrangedperpendicular to said first axis and having its corrugation axesarranged parallel to said second axis, said second blank includingtransverse creases extending perpendicular to said second axis andsubdividing said second blank into a pair of second vertical wall panelsto form another two parallel vertical walls of the case perpendicular tothe walls defined by said first vertical panels and a second horizontalwall panel between said second vertical wall panels coextensive withsaid first horizontal wall panel and foldably connected to said secondvertical wall panels by said transverse creases, said second horizontalwall panel having lateral edge portions secured to said transversesecuring flaps and having a length along said second axis correspondingto the width of said first horizontal wall panel perpendicular to saidaxis, and said lateral securing flaps being folded into inwardlyextending perpendicular relation to their adjoining wall panels andsecured in inwardly underlying relation to themargins of the secondvertical wall panels of said second blank, whereby in the erected casethe corrugation axes of all said vertical wall panels and of saidlateral securing flaps are arranged vertically in parallelism with eachother and said lateral securing flaps secured to the margins of saidsecond vertical wall panels form double thickness vertical comer postsat the four comers of the case providing increased stacking strength.

2. A shipping case as defined in claim 1, wherein said second blank is arectangular blank of sheet material, and said one blank is of generallyrectangular configuration having marginal cutouts in comer portionsthereof between the transverse securing flaps and the adjacent edgeportion of the respective lateral securing flaps.

3. A shipping case as defined in claim 2, wherein said second verticalwall panels of said second blank have free transverse edges parallelingthe transverse creases of said second blank and disposed in outwardlyspaced parallel relation to the free edges of said lateral securingflaps paralleling said longitudinal creases, said free edges of saidlateral securing flaps defining the lateral edges of said one blank.

4. A shipping case as defined in claim 1, wherein said second blank is arectangular blank of sheet material, and said one blank is of generallyrectangular configuration having marginal cutouts in comer portionsthereof between the transverse securing flaps and the adjacent edgeportion of the respective lateral securing flaps and the latterincluding triangular cutouts aligned with the transverse creasesadjoining said first horizontal wall panel.

5. A shipping case as defined in claim 4, wherein said second verticalwall panels of said second blank have free transverse edges parallelingthe transverse creases of said second blank and disposed in outwardlyspaced parallel relation to the free edges of said lateral securingflaps paralleling said longitudinal creases, said free edges of saidlateral securing flaps defining the lateral edges of said one blank.

6. A shipping case as defined in claim 1, wherein said second verticalwall panels of said second blank have free transverse edges parallelingthe transverse creases of said second blank and disposed in outwardlyspaced parallel relation to the free edges of said lateral securingflaps paralleling said longitudinal creases, said free edges of saidlateral securing flaps defining the lateral edges of said one blank.

7. A blank assembly for a shipping case formed of two separate blankseach formed of corrugated board joined to make the blank assembly; oneblank having a longitudinal first axis and including transverse creasesextending perpendicular to said first axis subdividing said one blankinto a pair of first vertical wall panels designed to form two parallelvertical walls of the case and a first horizontal wall panel disposedbetween said first vertical wall panels and foldably connected theretoalong certain of said transverse creases, said one blank furtherincluding transverse securing flaps foldably connected to said firstvertical wall panels along others of said transverse creases spaced fromsaid first horizontal wall panel, and said one blank having longitudinalcreases paralleling said axis and spanning said wall panels to definelateral securing flaps respectively foldably connected to each of saidwall panels along opposite lateral edges thereof defined by saidlongitudinal creases; and the second blank having a longitudinal secondaxis arranged perpendicular to said first axis and including transversecreases extending perpendicular to said second axis and subdividing saidsecond blank into a pair of second vertical wall panels designed to formanother two parallel vertical walls of the case perpendicular to thewalls defined by said first vertical panels and a second horizontal wallpanel between said second vertical wall panels coextensive with saidfirst horizontal wall panel and foldably connected to said secondvertical wall panels by said transverse creases, said second horizontalwall panel berng secured along on lateral edge portion thereof to one ofsaid transverse securing flaps and having a length along said secondaxis corresponding to the width of said first horizontal wall panel perpendicular to said axis, said one blank having its corrugation axesarranged parallel to said first axis and said second blank having itscorrugation axes perpendicular to the corrugation axes of said oneblank, and said lateral securing flaps being adapted to be folded intoinwardly extending perpendicular relation to their adjoining wall panelsto be secured in inwardly underlying relation to the marginal portionsof the second vertical wall panels of said second blank and forming withsaid marginal portions double thickness corner posts having verticalcorrugation axes at the four corners of the case when the case iserected providing increased stacking strength.

i t i l

1. A shipping case formed of two separate blanks each formed ofcorrugated board joined to make the whole; one blank having alongitudinal first axis and having its corrugation axes arrangedparallel to said first axis, said one blank including transverse creasesextending perpendicular to said first axis sub-dividing said one blankinto a pair of first vertical wall panels to form two parallel verticalwalls of the case and a first horizontal wall panel disposed betweensaid first vertical wall panels and foldably connected thereto alongcertain of said transverse creases, said one blank further includingtransverse securing flaps foldably connected to said first vertical wallpanels along others of said transverse creases spaced from said firsthorizontal wall panel, and said one blank having longitudinal creasesparalleling said axis and spanning said wall panels to define lateralsecuring flaps respectively foldably connected to each of said wallpanels along opposite lateral edges thereof defined by said longitudinalcreases; and the second blank having a longitudinal second axis arrangedperpendicular to said first axis and having its corrugation axesarranged parallel to said second axis, said second blank includingtransverse creases extending perpendicular to said second axis andsub-dividing said second blank into a pair of second vertical wallpanels to form another two parallel vertical walls of the caseperpendicular to the walls defined by said first vertical panels and asecond horizontal wall panel between said second vertical wall panelscoextensive with said first horizontal wall panel and foldably connectedto said second vertical wall panels by said transverse creases, saidsecond horizontal wall panel having lateral edge portions secured tosaid transverse securing flaps and having a length along said secondaxis corresponding to the width of said first horizontal wall panelperpendicular to said axis, and said lateral securing flaps being foldedinto inwardly extending perpendicular relation to their adjoining wallpanels and secured in inwardly underlying relation to the margins of thesecond vertical wall panels of said second blank, whereby in the erectedcase the corrugation axes of all said vertical wall panels and of saidlateral securing flaps are arranged vertically in parallelism with eachother and said lateral securing flaps secured to the margins of saidsecond vertical wall panels form double thickness vertical corner postsat the four corners of the case providing increased stacking strength.2. A shipping case as defined in claim 1, wherein said second blank is arectangular blank of sheet material, and said one blank is of generallyrectangular configuration having marginal cut-outs in corner portionsthereof between the transverse securing flaps and the adjacent edgeportion of the respective lateral securing flaps.
 3. A shipping case asdefined in claim 2, wherein said second vertical wall panels of saidsecond blank have free transverse edges paralleling the transversecreases of said second blank and disposed in outwardly spaced parallelrelation to the free edges of said lateral securing flaps parallelingsaid longitudinal creases, said free edges of said lateral securingflaps defining the lateral edges of said one blank.
 4. A shipping caseas defined in claim 1, wherein said second blank is a rectangular blankof sheet material, and said one blank is of generally rectangularconfiguration having marginal cut-outs in corner portions thereofbetWeen the transverse securing flaps and the adjacent edge portion ofthe respective lateral securing flaps and the latter includingtriangular cut-outs aligned with the transverse creases adjoining saidfirst horizontal wall panel.
 5. A shipping case as defined in claim 4,wherein said second vertical wall panels of said second blank have freetransverse edges paralleling the transverse creases of said second blankand disposed in outwardly spaced parallel relation to the free edges ofsaid lateral securing flaps paralleling said longitudinal creases, saidfree edges of said lateral securing flaps defining the lateral edges ofsaid one blank.
 6. A shipping case as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsecond vertical wall panels of said second blank have free transverseedges paralleling the transverse creases of said second blank anddisposed in outwardly spaced parallel relation to the free edges of saidlateral securing flaps paralleling said longitudinal creases, said freeedges of said lateral securing flaps defining the lateral edges of saidone blank.
 7. A blank assembly for a shipping case formed of twoseparate blanks each formed of corrugated board joined to make the blankassembly; one blank having a longitudinal first axis and includingtransverse creases extending perpendicular to said first axissub-dividing said one blank into a pair of first vertical wall panelsdesigned to form two parallel vertical walls of the case and a firsthorizontal wall panel disposed between said first vertical wall panelsand foldably connected thereto along certain of said transverse creases,said one blank further including transverse securing flaps foldablyconnected to said first vertical wall panels along others of saidtransverse creases spaced from said first horizontal wall panel, andsaid one blank having longitudinal creases paralleling said axis andspanning said wall panels to define lateral securing flaps respectivelyfoldably connected to each of said wall panels along opposite lateraledges thereof defined by said longitudinal creases; and the second blankhaving a longitudinal second axis arranged perpendicular to said firstaxis and including transverse creases extending perpendicular to saidsecond axis and sub-dividing said second blank into a pair of secondvertical wall panels designed to form another two parallel verticalwalls of the case perpendicular to the walls defined by said firstvertical panels and a second horizontal wall panel between said secondvertical wall panels coextensive with said first horizontal wall paneland foldably connected to said second vertical wall panels by saidtransverse creases, said second horizontal wall panel being securedalong one lateral edge portion thereof to one of said transversesecuring flaps and having a length along said second axis correspondingto the width of said first horizontal wall panel perpendicular to saidaxis, said one blank having its corrugation axes arranged parallel tosaid first axis and said second blank having its corrugation axesperpendicular to the corrugation axes of said one blank, and saidlateral securing flaps being adapted to be folded into inwardlyextending perpendicular relation to their adjoining wall panels to besecured in inwardly underlying relation to the marginal portions of thesecond vertical wall panels of said second blank and forming with saidmarginal portions double thickness corner posts having verticalcorrugation axes at the four corners of the case when the case iserected providing increased stacking strength.